1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lens case for a contact lens cleaning device, and more particularly to a lens case for a contact lens cleaning device which washes the contact lens by using a cleaning liquid.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, before wearing a pair of contact lenses a user washes the contact lenses as follows. First of all, each contact lens is put on their palm or fingers, and the lens is washed by rubbing with fingers after a cleaning liquid is dropped on a surface of the contact lens. Thus stains, particularly a fat contained in tears, are removed. After washing, the lens is rinsed with a rinsing water such as a distilled water and is sterilized by boiling in a preserving liquid such as a physiological saline solution. After boiling, it is kept in the preserving liquid such as a physiological saline solution till the next use of the lens is used next.
On the other hand, applicants of this case have developed a contact lens cleaning device to clean and sterilize by boiling the contact lens with effect. In this device, the contact lens is washed by swirl current which is generated by stirring means positioned in a disposal chamber. After that, the contact lenses are sterilized by cleaning liquid which is boiled by a heater in the disposal chamber. The contact lens cleaned by this device is positioned in the disposal chamber while the contact lenses are in lens case. As shown in FIG. 9, the lens case is composed of a container body 6 and a cover 7. The container body 6 includes a receiving chamber 65 which accommodates a contact lens W and an upper surface of the container body is opened. The cover 7 closes the container body 6 and the opening/closing of the receiving chamber 65 is established by the cover 7. The container body 6 and the cover 7 have plural penetrating holes 60 and 70 respectively, thereby establishing the liquid communication between the receiving chamber 65 and the outside of the container body 6.
In the case of cleaning the contact lens W using the contact lens cleaning device, the contact lens is accommodated in the receiving chamber 65 of the lens case and the lens case is disposed in the disposal chamber of the device. The swirl current which is generated by stirring means flows into the penetrating holes 60, 70 of the lens case, and current thereof washes the dirt on the surface of the contact lens W and flows out from the other penetrating holes 60, 70. But the current which flows in the receiving chamber 65 is apt to be controlled by the swirl current which is generated by stirring means. Thus if the contact lens W faces to the swirl current vertically, the swirl current attacks one side of the contact lens and another side thereof is difficult to clean. Still more if the contact lens W faces the swirl current horizontally, the concave side is difficult to clean.